Sigmoid sinus

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Vein: Sigmoid sinus

Dural veins. ("Pars sigmoid" labeled at lower right.)
Latin	sulcus sigmoideus
Gray's	subject #171 657
Source	transverse sinus
Drains to	internal jugular vein
MeSH	Cranial+Sinuses
Dorlands / Elsevier	s_12/12739223

The sigmoid sinuses (left & right), within a human head, are 2 areas beneath the brain, which allow blood veins to span the area, from the center of the head downward. They drain from the transverse sinuses (under the back of the brain) to the internal jugular vein. See diagram (at right): labeled under the brain as "PARS SIGMOID." (for Latin: sigmoideus).

Each sigmoid sinus begins beneath the temporal bone and follows a tortuous course to the jugular foramen, at which point the sinus becomes continuous with the internal jugular vein.

[edit] See also

Dural venous sinuses

[edit] External links

s_12/12739223 at Dorland's Medical Dictionary

v • d • e

Veins (emissary, jugular and others) and sinuses of head and neck (drainage patterns can vary)

to external jugular

retromandibular: maxillary • superficial temporal (anterior auricular)

posterior auricular

transverse cervical - suprascapular - anterior jugular (jugular venous arch)

to internal jugular

Diploic/brain	cerebral: superior • middle • inferior • great • internal (basal, superior thalamostriate) cerebellar: superior • inferior To COS: superior sagittal • straight (inferior sagittal) • occipital To CS: sphenoparietal • intercavernous superior ophthalmic (ethmoidal, central retinal, nasofrontal) • inferior ophthalmic • vorticose veins To IJV: sigmoid: transverse (petrosquamous) • superior petrosal inferior petrosal (basilar plexus, internal auditory veins) - condylar

Other	common facial • facial (frontal, supraorbital, angular, superior labial, inferior labial, deep facial) • pterygoid plexus lingual (dorsal lingual, deep lingual, sublingual) • pharyngeal • thyroid (superior/superior laryngeal, middle)